Cotton and corn stalk cutter.



No. 852,349. PATENTEI) APR. 30, 1907.

' G. R. ROBINSON.

COTTON AND CORN STALK CUTTER.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 10,1906.

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GEORGE R. ROBINSON, OF BIENVILLE, LOUISIANA.

COTTON AND CORN STALK CUTTER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

.iatented April 30, 1907.

Application filed July 10,1906. Serial No. 325,520-

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, GEORGE R. RoniNsoN, a citizen of the United States,residing at Bienville, in the parish of Bienville and State ofLouisiana, have invented a new and useful Cotton and Corn Stalk Cutter,of which the following is a specification.

The invention relates to improvements in stalk cutters.

The object of the present invention is to improve the construction ofstalk cutters, and to provide a simple, inexpensive and ellicient stalkcutter, designed for cutting the stalks of a crop of cotton or corn inpreparing the land for another crop, and capable of bending or flexingthe stalks before the knives or blades come in contact with the same,whereby the stalks are more rapidly and effectively severed from theground and thrown outwardly from the stalk cutter.

A further object of the invention is to provide a stalk-cutter adaptedto be readily drawn by one horse, and capable of cutting two rows ofstalks, and of depositing the severed stalks in every second row and ofleaving the intermediate row, in which the cutter operates, clear ofstalks, thereby enabling the stalks to be raked, or otherwise removed,in about one half the time that is required for their removal, when therows are cut down one at a time.

Another object of the invention is to provide a stalk cutter havingmeans adjustable to suit the character of the land for preventing thecutter from being thrown from one side to the other.

WVith these and other objects in view, the invention consists in theconstruction and novel combination of parts hereinafter fully described,illustrated in the accompanying drawing, and pointed out in the claimshereto appended.

In the drawing :Figure 1 is a perspective view of a stalk cutter,constructed in accordance with this invention. Fig. 2 is a reverse planview of the same. Fig. 3 is a detail sectional view, taken substantiallyon the line 33 of Fig. 2. Fig. 4 is a longitudinal sec tional view ofthe front portion of the cutter, illustrating the manner of adjustablymounting the runners. Fig. 5 is a detail sectional view, illustratingthe manner of adjustably mounting the colter.

Like numerals of reference designate corresponding parts in all thefigures of the drawin The frame of the stalk cutter is triangular, andis provided with forwardly converging side bars 1, which are connectedat their rear ends by a transverse bar 2, and which are secured at theirfront ends to a central longitudinal beam 3. The beam 3, which extendsthe entire length of the frame, projects at the front and backiof thesame and is suitably secured to the rear transverse bar 2,and it isprovided at its front end with a suitable clevis l for the attachment ofa draft animal.

The frame is provided at its sides with longitudinally disposed stalkcutting blades 5, which are arranged at the same angle as the sides ofthe frame, and which have tapered front portions 6. The blades, whichproject laterally from the outer side edges of the side bars 1, aresecured to the lower faces of the said bars 1 and are lirn'ily held inplace by bottom bars or runners 7, which have beveled outer edges, andwhich are adapted to run upon the ground. The front ends of the runnerbars lit against each other, and are secured. to the lower face of thecentral beam, which is interposed between the front ends of the sidebars 1.

The stalk cutter operates between two rows of stalks, and is adapted toout each of the adjacent rows, and as the cutter is drawn forward, theangularly disposed blades are drawn along the edges of the stalks, andsever the same from the ground with a shear cut. In order to render thecutting operation more ell'ective, the cutter is provided withsuperimposed inclined stalk llexing wings or members 6, which bend thestalks outwardly before the knives come in contact with the same. Thesewings or members, which extend longitudinally of the sides of thetriangular frame, are set at an angle, being inclined upwardly andoutwardly. The knives or cutters terminate short of the front end of theframe, and the inclined sides or wings project laterally beyond theplane of the cutting edges of the knives or blades, so that the stalkswill be positively flexed or bent before being cut. The wings or membersare also adapted to throw the stalks outwardly away from the stalkcutter, and the stalks fall in every second row and lie in alternaterows when cut. This will enable the stalks to be raked up, or otherwiseremoved, in about half the length of time that is required to remove thestalks from the land, when the rows are cut one at a time.

ITO

The stalk cutter is provided at its front with an adjustable runner 8,having a de pending rearwardly extending curved portion and providedwith an upwardly extending shank 10. The shank 10 is arranged in a slot11 of the central beam at a point in ad- Vance of the bottom bars orrunners 7, and provided at intervals with perforations 12, which areadapted to receive a bolt 13, and the latter pierces the beam andsecures the runner at the desired vertical adjustment.

In order to effectually prevent the stalk cutter from being thrown fromone side to the other, it is provided at its rear with an adjustablecolter 9, consisting of an upper portion or shank 10 and a dependingportion or blade. The depending portion or blade, which is slightlycurved, is provided with a lower cutting edge and terminates in a point,whereby it is adapted to penetrate the soil. The shank 10*, which isarranged in a slot 11 of the rear end of the central beam is provided atits rear edge with a plurality of notches 12*, adapted to engage therear wall of the slot 11 whereby the colter is secured in itsadjustment. Any other suitable means, however, may be employed foradjustably securing the colter to the central beam. The colter, which isadapted to penetrate the soil, enables the stalk cutter to be accuratelyguided and prevents the same from slipping laterally. The colter isadjusted to suit the character of the land, the penetration being lessin hard soil than when the ground is soft or loose.

The stalk cutter is provided with a pair of inclined handle bars 14,secured at their lower front ends to the central beam of the frame andconnected near their rear ends by a transverse rung 15. The rear ends ofthe handle bars are shaped into handles similar to the handles of anordinary plow, and the bars 14 are supported by central and outerinclined braces 16 and 17, which may be constructed of a single piece ofrod metal, as clearly shown in Fig. 1 of the drawing. The central bracesare secured at their lower ends to the rear transverse bar of the frame,and they extend upwardly therefrom, and are secured at their upper endsto the inner faces of the handle bars. The outer braces extend from thehandle bars to the outer portions of the transverse bar. When thecentral and outer inclined braces are constructed of a single piece ofmetal, they are connected at their adjacent ends by bends 18, which formgrips and which embrace the handle bars. The central braces areconnected at their lower ends by a horizontal portion 19, which isarranged on the upper face of the transverse bar 2, and which is piercedby the fastening devices for securing the central braces to the same.

It will be seen that the stalk cutter, which is exceedingly simple andinexpensive in conwith them, whereby the operation of cutting isrendered more effective and complete. Furthermore it will be apparentthat adjustable means are provided for preventing the stalk cutter frombeing thrown from side to side.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim as new and desireto secure by Letters Patent, is

1. A stalk cutter provided with side bars arranged at an angle to eachother, cutters extending longitudinally of the side bars, and wings alsodisposed longitudinally of the side bars and projecting outwardly beyondthe cutters throughout the entire length of the same and arranged toflex the stalks before the latter are severed by the cutters.

2. A stalk cutter provided with side bars arranged at an angle to eachother, cutters secured to the lower faces of the side bars and extendinglongitudinally of the same, and rigid wings secured to the upper facesof the side bars and disposed longitudinally of the same and projectingoutwardly beyond the cutters throughout the entire length of the latterto flex the stalks before the same are severed by the cutters.

3. A stalk cutter provided with side bars arranged at an angle to eachother, cutters extending longitudinally of the side bars, and wings alsodisposed longitudinally of the side bars and projecting outwardly beyondthe cutters throughout the entire length of the same, said wings beingset at an angle to flex the stalks before the latter are severed by thecutters.

4. A stalk cutter comprising a frame composed of a central beam andforwardly converging side bars having means for flexing the stalks,secured at their front ends to the beam at opposite sides thereof, arear transverse bar connecting the side bars with each other and withthe beam, and runner bars secured at the lower faces of the side barsand extended at their front ends beneath the beam, and cutting meanscarried by the frame.

5. A stalk cutter comprising a frame, cut ting members carried by theframe, handle bars mounted on the frame, and inner and outer inclinedbraces constructed of a single piece of metal and secured 'to the frameand to the handle bars, the said braces being connected at their upperends by bends forming grips for embracing the handle bars.

their front ends to the beam, and a rear transverse connecting barsecured to the side bars and to the longitudinal bar, cutters mounted onthe side bars, a runner depending from the front end of the longitudinalbar, and a colter connected with the rear end of the longitudinal barand adapted to penetrate the soil to prevent lateral movement of thestalk cutter.

8. A stalk cutter comprising a triangular frame provided at oppositesides with cutters, a runner supporting the front of the frame, a colterarranged at the back of the frame to penetrate the soil for holding thestalk cutter against lateral movement, said runner and cutter beingarranged in a line with each other midway between the cutters.

9. A stalk cutter comprising a triangular frame provided at oppositesides with cutters, a runner supporting the front of the frame andconsisting of a vertical portion adjustably secured to the frame, and arearwardly extending horizontal portion to trail on the ground, and acolter arranged at the back of the frame to penetrate the soil forholding the stalk cutter against lateral movement. 1

10. A stalk cutter comprising a triangular frame provided at oppositesides with cutters, a runner supporting the front of the frame, and acolter arranged at the back of the frame to penetrate the soil forholding the stalk cutter against lateral movement, said cutterconsisting of a vertical shank adjustably secured to the frame, and ablade curved rearwardly and tapered to a point and provided with a frontcutting edge.

In testimony, that I claim the foregoing as my own, I have heretoaffixed my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

GEORGE R. ROBINSON.

itnesses:

J. P. CROWSON, WV. J. Mnarin'.

